Numbers

The Torah portion, or parasha, is Nasso and is found in Numbers 4:21-7:89.  The passage contains several events. First, Moses finishes the census of the Levite families and everyone is given instructions on their responsibilities to temple service.  The next section talks about how people who have committed crimes, are suspected of adultery, or have made a vow of piety to God should act. The passage makes the comment, “If someone has wronged another and thereby has wronged God . . . “., connecting wrongs to others as also hurting God.  In the next section, the priests are given the well-known words to bless the people “May the Lord bless you and keep watch over you. May the Lord make his presence to shine upon you. May the Lord direct his providence toward you and give you peace”.  The rationale given for the priestly blessings is that the blessing will link God with the people so that they will be able to receive God’s blessing. Finally, the tabernacle is dedicated and each day, one of the twelve tribes brings their offerings and contributes to the service.

We learn a number of things in this passage. First, everyone is counted and given a responsibility. Everyone has an obligation to carry out those responsibilities to contribute to the community.  Second, keeping promises is important and breaking those promises can result in hurting others and God. If those promises are broken, people are obligated to do what they need to do in order to restore trust and make things right. Third, in the dedication of the tabernacle, everyone had a part. By assigning each tribe their own special day to offer sacrifices and contribute to the service, each tribe was made to feel special and equal in worth to the other.  From these three points, we are again reminded of the importance and worth of each individual and of the obligations we have as members of a community to support one another. We all make mistakes but we can learn to forgive each other, build trust, and do what is in our power to make things right. Finally, we learn that when we hurt others, we wrong God, and when we bless others, it allows God to bless them as well.

The Torah portion, or parasha, this week is Matot-Masei and is found in Numbers 30:2-36:13. This Torah portion first talks about vows made by women (vows made by men were addressed in an earlier parasha).  If a woman makes a vow but her father (while she is living at home and too young to leave) or her husband forbids her to carry out the vow, the vow will be annulled and she will not be bound by it.  Otherwise, if her father or husband approves, she may keep the vow and carry it out. She will also be bound to that vow and if she chooses to break it, she will follow the ritual customs men do if they wish to break a vow.  In the second section of the portion, the Israelites take revenge on the Midianites whose women had come into the camp to entice the men to commit the immoral sexual acts mentioned in the last week’s Torah portion, Pinchas. God had punished the Israelites with a plague.  Now the Israelites go to war with the Midianites, conquer them, and kill Balaam, the sorcerer mentioned in the recent parasha who was unable to curse the people but conjured up the idea to send the Midianite women into the Israelite camp to cause the people to sin and incur God’s wrath. In returning with their booty, ironically, some of the men return with the very women that had enticed the Israelite men. Moses has these women killed, but other women brought home who were virgins were spared.  The Israelites divide the gold, silver, and other items they collected in battle and give a portion to Moses and Aaron as a gift back to God for the victory.

We learn the following insights from this parasha. First, the inclusion of special protection for women who make vows is important because in that day and age, women were subject to their parents or their spouses.  This protection allowed women not to be punished for not carrying out a vow that they did not have the power to carry out.  Although we do not have those societal restrictions in America today, we should be sensitive to others who make promises to us and are unable to keep them.  Likewise, we should also try to keep the promises we make to others when it is possible for us to do so.  Second, we learn that it is hard sometimes to let go of the things that keep us from doing what we are supposed to do.  It is difficult to follow a weight loss plan if we leave our favorite cookies on the counter, or spend more time with the family if we leave the TV remote out on the table without a plan for a family activity.  May this Torah portion inspire us to look more closely at what we do, what we want to be, and help us remove the barriers in our lives that keep us from getting there.

The Torah portion, or parasha, this week is Pinchas and is found in Numbers 25:10-30:1.  In this passage, we have two primary stories.  In the first, Midianite women have entered the Israelite community to encourage the men to engage in idol worship and related sexual practices.  God responds by sending a plague upon the people.  Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, stops the plague by executing an Israelite man engaged in a sexual act publicly with a Midianite woman.  Pinchas then receives a divine reward – a hereditary priesthood and permanent “covenant of peace” – in recognition of his zeal. In the second story, five sisters, the daughters of a man named Zelophehad, approach Moses and the other leaders. They explain that their father died without sons, and they want to claim his share of the land instead of this land going to a male relative. Moses asks God what to do, and God tells him that the women have made a just claim. Moreover, from that point on, whenever a man dies without a son, his property shall be inherited by his daughters. If there is no daughter, then the property will be inherited by other male relatives.

We learn two points from this parasha.  In the first story, Pinchas takes a bold step to make a public statement about immoral conduct that was leading people away from God.  Although Pinchas caused the death of two individuals, he prevented the deaths of others who would have otherwise died from the plague. In the second story, during a time when women had fewer rights than men, the daughters took a bold step. They were rewarded by not only getting a share of their father’s land, but by being able to pass the property on to their sons and ensuring their family line. They also paved the way for future developments in women’s rights. This week, as we encounter different situations, may this inspire us to think about what principles are important for us to stand for…and may we have the courage to stand for them.

The Torah portion, or parasha, this week is Balak and is found in Numbers 22:2-25:9.  In this passage, Balak, the king of Moab, sees that the Israelites have defeated the neighboring Amorites and he is afraid. He joins forces with the Midianites to hire the prophet Balaam, asking him to curse the Israelites to insure their defeat. God tells Balaam not to go, but he does anyway. Balaam sets out, riding on his donkey. An angel appears and blocks the road. Balaam doesn’t see it but his donkey does and refuses to move. Balaam beats the animal, but it still refuses to move. After three beatings, the donkey speaks and complains that it doesn’t deserve this treatment. God then allows Balaam to see the angel, who rebukes him for beating his donkey but permits him to continue on his journey with the warning that he may only say what God tells him. Balaam asks Balak to build seven altars and to provide animals for sacrifices. After he makes his offerings he speaks the words God gives him, praising and blessing Israel. Balak is furious, but Balaam explains that he can speak only as God commands him. Twice more Balaam offers sacrifices and then praises and blesses Israel. Balak sends Balaam away; he leaves after describing the defeat of several other nations.

This passage tells an interesting story with an interesting message.  While the Israelites are in the wilderness traveling toward the Promised Land, a Moabite king wants to have them cursed so that his country is secure.  He calls in a prophet who is known for his sorcery and asks him to curse the people.  Balaam must have felt a little concerned about the proposition because he turns down the proposition the first time and on his journey, he is painfully reminded from his donkey, that he is only to speak the words God allows.  When he makes his offerings, only blessings come forth, which clearly does not please Balak. Balak ends up sending Balaam away, without achieving what he wanted.  We learn three things from the passage. First, if someone proposes something to us that we do not feel comfortable with and goes against principles we believe are sacred, then we are better off not to do it.  Second, God speaks to everyone in simple and often unexpected ways.  It may not be a talking donkey, but it pays to listen to good advice, even from unlikely sources. Third, the Israelites in the story are hardly mentioned and they seem completely unaware that they are being protected by God in this situation.  We don’t always see evidence of God working in our lives, but that doesn’t mean God is not there

The Torah portion, or parasha, this week is Chukat and is found in Numbers 19:1-22:1.  In this passage, the people continue to struggle with wilderness living. Miriam dies along the way and is buried in Kadesh.  Soon after, the people again complain about a lack of water. Specifically, their complaint is that they should have died when Korach and his followers died, and that Moses should never have brought them out of Egypt, because of the wilderness hardships.  Moses and Aaron bring the complaint to God and God instructs Moses to speak to the rock to produce water.  Moses instead yells at the people, “Listen you rebels! Shall we get you water out of this rock?”.  God, knowing the people’s need for water, provides the water anyway.  God, however, is displeased with how Moses handles the situation and tells him that he will not be able to enter the Promised Land, but will die in the wilderness with the others who have complained.  Aaron dies soon after and is buried in the wilderness.

To most of us, it may seem that Moses received a rather harsh reprimand for losing his temper. But more is actually being conveyed here.  First, the message that God had hoped to get across to the people, (God would provide for their needs) was missed.  Moses’ words “shall we get you water” implies that he is equally responsible for producing water, as is God.  Another issue, is the value of human worth.  Should all the people rightly have been called “rebels?”  It is highly unlikely that 100% of the people complained.  Labeling all members of a group with certain characteristics generally leads to devaluing both the group and the individuals in it.  Furthermore, is any human being truly unworthy of receiving water, regardless of who they are? Granted, the people were definitely annoying, but they were also still recovering from years of slavery, and as we can see in society today, it takes years, even generations, to heal from that.  One of God’s greatest challenges with these newly freed people was to help them realize that they needed to value themselves and others as human beings, and not to take things for granted.  What Moses, a leader and a representative of God, communicated to them was exactly the opposite, which is why God responded the way he did.  Another sad point to note is how many of the people were still struggling with the unhealthy words and ideas that Korach had spoken, a leader who was also supposed to have been a man of good character.  This week, let us continue to remember the value of the human beings we come in contact with, and the power and influence of our words.

The Torah portion, or parasha, this week is Sh’lach (sometimes called Sh’lach L’cha) and is found in Numbers 13:1-15:41. In this parasha, Moses sends twelve spies, one from each tribe, to scout the land of Canaan and bring back a report of the conditions the Israelites will find there. After forty days the spies return, bringing their report of the good land and samples of its produce. However, ten of the spies, all but Joshua and Caleb, insist that the Canaanites are too powerful for the Israelites to conquer. The people panic when they hear the ten spies’ conclusion and declare that they want to return to Egypt. Caleb and Joshua try to change their minds, pointing out that with God on their side the Israelites need not fear the inhabitants of the land.  God’s patience finally is exhausted and declares that the generation of the Exodus will die in the wilderness; it will be their children who will possess the land.

The twelve spies were leaders, well respected in the community.  They all saw and experienced pretty much the same events. However, not everyone came to the same conclusion.  Yes, there was a Promised Land. But it was filled with both grapes and giants, fields and fortified cities. Some saw grapes and fields in a land flowing with milk and honey. Others saw giants and fortified cities in a land that eats up its occupants. Some saw their own inadequacies and believed the challenge was not possible.  Others remembered God’s deliverance and were willing to believe that same God would provide for their future.

Knowing the end of the story, it is easy for us to criticize the ten who doubted. Yet, it is not easy to take the risks necessary to achieve a visionary goal. Often the fear of failure and the discomfort of facing the uncertain prevents people from trying to accomplish something great. However, great things are never accomplished without risk.  If we try, we might fail to achieve our vision. However, if we don’t try, we lose out on the reality of that vision.  The Israelites in our story today lost out on the Promised Land because of their unwillingness to take the risk.  May we have the wisdom to discern what visions are worthy of pursuit and the courage to take the risks to achieve our visions.

The Torah portion, or parasha, is Nasso and is found in Numbers 4:21-7:89.  The passage contains several events. First, Moses finishes the census of the Levite families and everyone is given instructions on their responsibilities to temple service.  The next section talks about how people who have committed crimes, are suspected of adultery, or have made a vow of piety to God should act. The passage makes the comment, “If someone has wronged another and thereby has wronged God . . . “., connecting wrongs to others as also hurting God.  In the next section, the priests are given the well-known words to bless the people “May the Lord bless you and keep watch over you. May the Lord make his presence to shine upon you. May the Lord direct his providence toward you and give you peace”.  The rational given for the priestly blessings is that the blessing will link God with the people so that they will be able to receive God’s blessing. Finally, the tabernacle is dedicated and each day, one of the twelve tribes brings their offerings and contributes to the service.

We learn a number of things in this passage. First, everyone is counted and given a responsibility. Everyone has an obligation to carry out those responsibilities to contribute to the community.  Second, keeping promises is important and breaking those promises can result in hurting others and God. If those promises are broken, people are obligated to do what they need to in order to restore trust and make things right. Third, in the dedication of the tabernacle, everyone had a part. By assigning each tribe their own special day to offer sacrifices and contribute to the service, each tribe was made to feel special and equal in worth to the other.  From these three points, we are again reminded of the importance and worth of each individual and of the obligations we have as members of a community to support one another. We all make mistakes but we can learn to forgive each other, build trust, and do what is in our power to make things right. Finally, we learn that when we hurt others, we wrong God, and when we bless others, it allows God to bless them as well.

The Torah portion, or parasha, this week is called Bamidbar and is found in Numbers 1:1-4:20. This week we leave Leviticus behind and move on to the book of Numbers. The first parasha rightly focuses on numbers. God instructs Moses to take a census of the people. The men of military age 20 years and older are counted. The totals for each tribe and a grand total are given.  The Levites are counted in their own census, and the first born male of every Israelite is counted as well. God also tells Moses and Aaron how to arrange the camp, with each tribe given a designated place surrounding the Tabernacle, and the order the tribes will march in when they move from place to place.

Clearly the theme of the parasha is about order, but it is also about making sure that every person counts. Every individual is important in God’s eyes and has a special role and mission in this life no one else can fill.  This message, then, should remind us this week to value ourselves as well as value others around us